CPET ONLINE COURSES - FAQs Is the entire CPET program online? Are the online courses the same as those offered in the day program? Will courses taken online count towards my CPET diploma? When are the courses available? When do the terms start? Where do I take my online classes? Can I write my tests off-campus? How many hours am I expected to put in? How do the courses operate? Who teaches the courses? What is Operating Engineering and why is it important? How can I obtain my TSSA 4th Class Operating Engineer certification? How do I prepare for the TSSA exams? How do I gain the practical steam time required for Operating Engineering? What does a career with a CPET diploma involve? What are the skill demands of a CPET student and Process Operator? Is the entire CPET program online? No. The online version of the CPET program was called CPEO and it is no longer available as a separate program. However, the courses in Terms 4, 5 and 6 of the CPET program will continue to be offered online. For courses that include a lab component, labs will be scheduled on Saturdays and/or Sundays throughout the term, the number of which depends on the hours assigned to the lab. Are the online courses the same as those offered in the day program? Every online course follows the same learning outcomes as the courses offered in the day program. The main difference is the learning methodology. In online courses students and faculty do not meet face-to-face except for courses that include a lab component. Online courses require students to pay close attention to the schedule set out by the teacher and online coordinator. Exercises performed in online courses may be different to those performed in daytime courses. For example; a teacher in a daytime course may break the class into groups to perform an exercise, an online course may use the discussion board in D2L. Will courses taken online count towards my CPET diploma? Yes. The grades received in online courses have the same weighting towards the overall GPA of the program. When are the courses available? Lambton College attempts to offer each online course twice per year but this may be less depending on student demand and instructor availability. A list of the latest online course offerings is typically posted approximately one month before the start of each term. Select the following link to view the latest list. http://lambtoncollege.ca/custom/lambtonapps/parttime/courses/onlinecourselist.aspx?catid=44
When do the terms start? Terms start at the beginning of each September, January, and May and each course runs for a duration of 15 weeks. Course Related Questions Where do I take my online classes? From your home, the college computer labs, or anywhere you have access to a computer that has an internet connection and a browser. Theory portions are performed online except for tests which are performed at the college or in some cases, approved proctored sites off campus. For courses that include a lab component, they are performed in the college s process and plant equipment labs. Can I write my tests off-campus? Students who reside further than 100 km from Lambton College can request to take their test at an approved, proctored site. Approved sites include Ontario community colleges, universities, or testing centres such as Contact North. Tests take place at 6:30 p.m. on days assigned by the college at the start of the term. Students are responsible for making sure the test day/time do not interfere with other courses or commitments. If test times do conflict with another course or commitment, the student must decide which course to drop. Students are required to search out and contact test proctors on their own. If a proctor agrees to host a student, the student must contact the CPET On-line coordinator to approve the proctor. Approvals must be made at least 1 week prior to the first term test. Final exams may also be written offsite with an approved proctor. How many hours am I expected to put in? It depends on the courses and whether they have lab components. Students are allowed to take up to 25 credit hours in a term. Credit hours do not include additional time required for reading, studying, homework (e.g. projects, discussion topics, reports), communications with the teacher and other students, and more. Students should expect to allot 1.5 to 2 times the credit hours to be successful in a course. How do the courses operate? Once a student is registered for a course, they will be assigned rights to Lambton s online Learning Management System called D2L. Inside the course students will find instructions on how to use D2L. Some of the basic features include: The D2L calendar provides a schedule of when to study specific material, and when assignments, tests and labs are to be held. Note that tests and labs are scheduled to take place in the college, not online. Special cases allow students to take tests at an approved, proctored site off campus. Students have the flexibility of choosing when and where to study the material but must meet the due dates and test dates outlined in the calendar.
The D2L Email tool allows students to communicate with the teacher, online coordinator and other students in the class. The Discussion tool allows students to interact in groups on common topics and exercises. Some instructors may choose to use a live Chat feature for synchronous communication. The D2L Lessons area contains Modules in which course materials, web links, exercises and other course related information and content will be posted. The Dropbox tool in D2L allows students to submit digital copies of assignments and lab reports. Once again, students must pay close attention to the due dates specified. For assessments such as math assignments which require calculations, students may be asked to fax or scan their results and submit them to the teacher. The D2L News tool allows teachers to post announcements to the entire class, to groups, or to individuals. The D2L Quiz tool allows teachers to provide quiz exercises for grades or for test/exam practice. All term tests and exams will be written and invigilated at the Lambton College Learning Bridge or at an approved offsite location by a qualified, approved proctor. The college decides whether a proctor meets the needed requirements. Tests and exams must be written on the dates and times posted in the D2L course. Tests and exams can be comprised of a variety of question types including; multiple choice, true and false, essay, short answer, matching and others. The Grade Tool in D2L is used by teachers to post course grades and comments. Students can track their progress in the course at any time throughout the term. Students are encouraged to review the Notifications options in D2L. These allow students to receive notifications of things such as new and updated News announcements, new and updated grades, and many others. Students have the option to receive these notifications via text message (SMS) or by email to an email address of their choice. Who teaches the courses? Many of the teachers in the online courses also teach day classes at Lambton College. Others are hired on a part-time basis. Faculty are chosen according to their experience in teaching and in the subject matter. Most have great experience in the petrochemical industry. Operating Engineering Certification What is Operating Engineering and why is it important? Operators who control boilers, fired heaters, and other equipment that produce or utilize steam must be certified Operating Engineers. This certification is granted by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) in the province of Ontario. For more information about the TSSA and the Operating Engineers Act, refer to www.tssa.org. Since Operating Engineers may find employment in power generating facilities, the term Power Engineer is often used instead of Operating Engineer. Although the province is considering changing the name to Power Engineer, it currently remains Operating Engineer. There are 4 classifications of Operating Engineers with 4 th Class being the first obtained (lowest classification) and 1 st Class being the last or highest. The classification required by a company depends on the power rating of its plant in megawatts (MW). For example, a large power plant facility that uses combustion to produce steam would typically require a 1 st Class Chief Operating Engineer as well as shift operators requiring a minimum 2 nd Class certification. Chemical plants and refineries often require certified operators as well. Most require operators to have a 4 th Class certification upon hire and to achieve a minimum 3 rd Class certification afterwards.
Lambton College s Chemical Production and Power Engineering Technology program is a hybrid program. It includes the in-school training required of a 4 th Class Operating Engineer as well as the theoretical and practical knowledge to operate chemical plants, refineries, and other types of processing plants. The purpose of this additional exposure is to maximize the career opportunities of the coop and graduate placements. How can I obtain my TSSA 4 th Class Operating Engineer certification? For CPET students to obtain their TSSA 4th Class Operating Engineers certificate, they must successfully complete all of the following: Pass all courses in the first 3 academic terms; AAL 01, AAL 02, AAL 04. The courses must be taken onground. Online courses are not accepted by the TSSA. Successful completion of the first 3 academic terms will also credit students with 9 (nine) months of steam time reduction. Obtain and complete a minimum 3 (three) month approved coop placement. This will credit students with 3 additional months of practical steam time. Register with the TSSA to apply for the 4th Class Certification. Pass both TSSA 4th Class Operating Engineer exams (4A & 4B). How do I prepare for the TSSA exams? Learning materials can be purchased through the Lambton College bookstore (a deposit is required), or through the website www.powerengineering.ca, or via a link from the TSSA web site. The content of these materials are covered during the first 3 academic terms of the CPET program. Due to the large volume of material covered in these exams, students are expected to do a fair amount of studying to prepare. How do I gain the practical steam time required for Operating Engineering? The current practical steam time requirement is 12 months of full-time related work in a registered plant. The on-ground (regular day time) CPET program is approved so that students can obtain 9 months of practical steam time reduction towards their 4 th Class certification. Students who obtain an approved co-op in a TSSA registered plant can receive an additional 3 months of steam time reduction. Students must obtain a testimonial form, completed and signed by the Chief Operating Engineer, to attest to the time achieved and the type of plant where employment occurred. What does a career with a CPET diploma involve? As a CPET graduate, you will be entering a career as a Process Operator/Operating Engineer. These positions almost always involve shift work, with most plants utilizing 12-hour day and night shifts. Graduates will be placed in a shift team that rotate shifts as a unit.
What are the skill demands of a CPET student and Process Operator? Process Operators are required to have both fine and gross motor control skills in order to operate various pieces of equipment. They must possess adequate vision in order to read instruments and record measurements. They must be capable of climbing vertical ladders and walking open gratings platforms at heights. Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Accessibility Centre to discuss academic accommodations. The following information provides a short synopsis of the skills and awareness required of a Process Operator. Work Safety Of primary importance is the need to perform each action in a safe and rational manner. The college and industry partners provide training in safe work practices including the proper use of personal protective equipment. Environmental Protection All operators are trained to control their units to minimize environmental impact. Graduates are familiar with the laws with respect to the environment, and plants strive to perform at levels that produce emissions levels far less than the government standards. Starting and stopping process equipment as required This involves lining out pipe lines from source to destination, opening and closing appropriate valves, checking equipment for proper lubrication levels, and other system checks. It then involves the safe starting of equipment or introducing flow through the equipment. Routine checks on equipment Every shift operators perform routine readings and checks through their unit. More frequent checks are made in areas of the plant that require operating changes or have had problems. Due to the nature of process units, operators occasionally climb ladders on towers and walk on high platforms with open steel grate floors. Collection of Process Samples Operators may be required to collect liquid and vapor samples to be analyzed by the plant lab. In some cases they may run routine tests in a lab usually adjacent to the control room. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that the products are within specification. Preparation of Unit Equipment for Safe Work Shift operators are responsible for isolating fluid and electrical streams to plant equipment and to clean and flush process fluids from these streams so that it is safe for maintenance personnel to work. The operators sign a permit that verifies that the equipment is safe for work. When the work is completed, they then restore the equipment to operations as required.
Control Panel Operations Operators control the operations of the plant from the control center by making the necessary changes using a computer. Video screens are typically used to represent the operation in a graphical format. Operators typically must go out into the unit to open and close valves, to inspect equipment, and to facilitate changes. Liaison with other shifts At the change of each shift, operators meet briefly to discuss plant performance and provide continuity of information. Operators document changes in a plant log book or computer program.